Improvement in spring-vehicles



1. H. PHOENiX'GL'J cunns;

Spring-Vehicles. N0.160,709 P atented March 9, 1875.

THE GRAPHIC CO.PHOT0.-L|TH.89&41 PARK PLACEJLY.

NITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

JAMES H. PHOENIX AND JOHN CURTIS, OF OINOINNATI, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPRING-VEHICLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 160,709, dated March 9;1875 application filed January 18, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J AMEs H. PH ENIX and J0EE CURTIS, both ofCincinnati, Hamilton county, Ohio, have invented a new and use fulImprovement in Spring-Vehicles, of which the following is aspecification:

Our invention has for its object the production of a simple, durable,and effective spring- In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is aperspective view of our improvement without the body. Fig. 2 is atransverse section of the same with the body. Fig. 3 is an under-sideview of the hinged bars and their respective cushions. Fig. 4 is apartial side elevation of a modified form of hinged bars with twodifferent forms of cushions mounted upon the same. Fig. 5 is a partialelevation, showing a plate-spring substituted for the cushion.

Of the above illustrations Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are to a larger scale thanFigs. 1 and 2.

The bed or body A may have the represented or any other suitable form,and has bolted or otherwise firmly secured to its under side two crossplates or strips, B, of metal or hard wood. Bolted or otherwise fastenedto the under side of each plate B, at the midlength of the same, is ahanger, O, to which are hinged, D, a pair of rigid cross bars or levers,E E, whose outer extremities are secured by a hinge, F, or othercoupling, to the under sides of side spring-bars O O, of the representedor any approved construction. Interposed between each cross-bar and theplate to which it is hinged is a spring-cushion, H, which may, asrepresented, consist of a piece of spring-wire in spiral form, or may bea platespring, I, or an india-rubber block or pad, J, or such block maybe combined with such spiral spring, if desired, as shown at K in Fig.4. The cushion H, being located near to fulcrums of their respectivecross-bars, permita considerable up-and-down motion of the body to takeplace with slight compression of the cushion. The cross bars and platesmay have a series of apertures, 12 and b, which enable the cushions tobe set in or out for different purposes, or different sets of cushionsmay be provided for the different distances from the fulcrum.

The body being supported at so many different parts, a breaking down ofany one of .them would not endanger the rider.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the bars E E are represented as united to thehanger O by a common rivet or bolt, D 5 but it is evident that eachplate may have an independent connection with said hanger, as shown inFigs. 4 and 5.

When the modified form of cushion is employed, as represented in Fig. 5,the rail B should have a flange-bearing plate, L, secured to it, or elsesome other suitable appliance must be employed to prevent lateraldisplacement of the plate-spring I.

It will be seen that by our arrangement the body of the vehicle hasvertical play between the side bars, to which its supporting crossbarsare attached.

We are aware that it is not new to rest the body of a carriage uponsprings of rubber or other elastic material placed on adjustablecross-bars between the body and rigid levers; also, that said springsand hinged levers have been used to support removable wagon-seats. This,therefore, we do not claim as our invention.

We claim herein as new and of our invention- A wagon bed or body, A,supported from the under sides of side spring-bars G G by the conjoinedaction of the rigid cross-bars E E, which are hinged in pairs both tosaid spring-bars and to the body, and of the interposed springs orcushions H, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony of which invention we hereunto set our hands.

JAS. H. PH(ENIX. JOHN CURTIS.

Attest:

GEo. H. KNIGHT, O. P. OAYLoR.

